Ethics
In response to many years researching and collaborating across disciplines, especially in biological sciences, on the theme of humans and the ways we think about the living world, Melanie became active in ethics. In particular, she contributes to bioethics, defined as novel ethical issues emerging from advances in biotechnologies and biological research.
She became a member of the UK’s Nuffield Council on Bioethics in 2019, and has served as Deputy Co-Chair since 2021. She has been Co-Chair of the priority area of Environment and Health, alongside Professor John Coggon, since 2024.
She has also been a visiting scholar at the Hastings Center, the premier bioethics research centre in the US.
Melanie is a founder and co-director of Animals in the Room, alongside Dr Erin Ryan and an international network of interdisciplinary scholars, working on new methods of representing non-human animals in policy and governance.
Melanie is a Vice President of the RSPCA, and supports their policy and advocacy work on the welfare and status of non-human animals.
